


Power

by 0bviousLeigh



Series: Yuma is a Girl [11]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Gender or Sex Swap, Labyrinth References, Other, but not horrible ones, i can't believe it but that's an actual tag, repo the genetic opera references too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 11:38:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12035097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great // Astral faces Numbers 96





	Power

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my Zexal rewrite that I started for Zexal month on tumblr--an AU in which, first and foremost, Yuma is a girl. Always a girl, born with a V, the whole nine yards. Why? Because the idea wouldn't leave me alone. So [I drew it](http://rainbow-galaxy-supernova.tumblr.com/post/164290621451/zexal-month-day-13-yuma-day-something-ive-been), and I started writing it, and I ran with it.
> 
> This is basically a complete rewrite of episode 20, because honestly it doesn't fit the flow that I've established. That episode barely fit the canon flow. Tetsuo and Yuma had a fight in episode what, 14? Idk but this fight was too soon after.

“I wonder when we’ll meet Numbers 69,” Yuma says as Astral absorbs Numbers 96.

“You’re gross,” Tetsuo accuses.

Yuma sticks her tongue out at him. “Like you weren’t thinking it.”

“I don’t get it,” Kotori says.

“Good,” Tetsuo and Yuma tell her at the same time.

“You guys wanna chill at my place this weekend?” Yuma asks as they start to walk away. “We can have a movie marathon.”

“No more horror movies,” Tetsuo orders, “That last one was creepy.”

“ _Repo the Genetic Opera_ is not horror,” Yuma says, “It is an art form.” She suddenly feels a little lost, and she turns around. Astral hasn’t followed. “Astral?” She calls, “You coming?”

Astral startles and floats along after Yuma.

 

* * *

 

96’s vision won’t leave Astral’s head. The monster wasn’t very powerful, but the memory associated with it was disturbing. It’s been the case that the Numbers monsters will be in some way associated with the memory they unlock, so why would such a weak card possess a vision of Earth being destroyed? Especially since Earth is clearly not destroyed, and that card is clearly not a vision of what has passed. So…is it a vision of the future?

Staring at the airship, Astral shudders. He has not been on Earth for very long, but he certainly doesn’t wish for the planet to be destroyed.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a full 24 hours and Yuma and Tetsuo are still debating the genre of Repo. Kotori walks ahead of them on the way home from school; she’s used to this by now.

“I can’t even watch Spy Kids anymore because now all I can think about is Alexa Vega covered in blood,” Tetsuo says.

“Good, Spy Kids was terrible!” Yuma says. “And don’t tell me Zydrate Anatomy isn’t a bop.”

Tetsuo purses his lips. “Okay but that one scene with the—”

Yuma suddenly yelps and doubles over. “Ow, ow, ow!” She cries, grabbing the cord around her neck and ripping it off. “It’s hot!” She flings the key away from herself, and Astral bursts forth from it.

“What’s happening?!” Astral cries.

“Astral!” Yuma screams.

Black goop oozes from the key and covers Astral’s body. Yuma falls to her knees and stares in disbelief as Astral writhes in the grip of long strings of the ooze. Her mind goes blank, and she’s paralyzed with fear.

“Yuma!” Tetsuo cries, “Do something!”

“Like what?!” Yuma demands, tears threatening to overwhelm her.

“Stop it!” Tetsuo commands, “Now’s not the time to fall to pieces, Astral needs you!” Yuma can hardly breathe, but Tetsuo hauls her to her feet. “Talk to him!”

Yuma takes a step towards Astral. “Y-you can fight this!” She calls to him.

Astral gasps and stares at her. “96 is stronger than I thought,” he says in a strangled tone, “I…don’t know…”

“Don’t talk like that!” Yuma shouts. “Don’t let it do this to you!”

Astral squeezes his eyes shut. The ooze briefly stops its ascent up his legs, and Yuma calls, “Yes, it stopped!”

But a splash of black liquid hits Astral’s face and he cries out.

Yuma charges towards Astral. She’s never been able to touch him before, but she reaches out to him anyway. She grabs at his hand and screams, “Come on! I can’t…I don’t know how to help you!”

Astral looks at Yuma, panic on his face. “Me neither,” he gasps. “96…I’m scared of it…”

“That’s okay!” Yuma tells him, “It’s okay to be afraid, but you can’t let that fear control you! I’m here for you, I’ll help you face it!”

Astral grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut. A bright light forms at his chest and spreads over the rest of his body, and the black ooze retreats, falling in big splashes to the ground. But the ooze begins to take shape, hovering in front of Astral, twisting and turning into something terrifying. In seconds, a mirror image of Astral floats in front of him and Yuma, only this one is made of that terrible slime, and when the not-Astral opens its eyes, Yuma is horrified by the look it gives them.

“You can’t fight me,” the thing hisses. “I am 96, and I am the strongest Number.”

“No!” Yuma cries, reaching for Astral’s hand again, “Hope is the strongest Number! I don’t know what you are but you’re not Astral, and you can’t control him!”

Yuma turns to Astral—he looks as terrified as she feels. Yuma squeezes his hand. “Tell it,” she says, “Tell 96 that it has no power over you.”

“Y-you have…” Astral stammers.

96 smirks.

Yuma stands between Astral and 96. She walks towards 96, her head spinning. “Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here…” She keeps moving forward. “For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great…” She stands in front of the parody of Astral and puts out her hand; it goes right through 96. Yuma grins and looks over her shoulder at Astral. “See, Astral? It’s not even there. It’s not real. Say it with me, ‘You have no power over me.’ Say it, Astral!”

Astral whispers, “You have no power over me.”

“Louder!” Yuma orders.

“LOUDER!” Tetsuo and Kotori yell.

“You have no power over me,” Astral repeats, louder.

“ONE MORE TIME NOW!” Yuma screams, pumping her fist in the air.

“YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!” Astral yells. He holds out his hand, and 96 lets out a shriek as it is absorbed back into the key.

Yuma jumps up and down, whooping and clapping. “You did it, Astral!”

Kotori and Tetsuo join Yuma in cheering. Kotori runs over. “You touched Astral’s hand!” She cries, “I saw it, you did it!”

Yuma gasps. “I did, didn’t I?! Wait, you saw?”

Tetsuo nods. “From the time that ooze appeared until 96 went away, we could see Astral.”

Astral floats over, and Yuma reaches for him, but her hand goes through his. “Oh,” she says, a little disappointed, “I can’t anymore.”

“It’s okay,” Astral tells her. He smiles. “Thank you.”

Tetsuo nudges her shoulder. “You Labyrinth thief,” he teases.

Yuma winks at him. “Shall we watch that movie? Astral hasn’t seen it yet.”

“Travesty!” Tetsuo cries.

“I’m down!” Kotori says.

And they continue on their way, Astral smiling down at the trio as they break into song.

_“You remind me of the babe…”_

_“What babe?”_

**Author's Note:**

> I mentioned that “You have no power over me” line in part 9, and I just love it for Yuma in this universe. I love Yuma loving Labyrinth.
> 
> I also love Yuma loving Repo The Genetic Opera. If you haven't seen that movie, it's quite gory, not so scary, but there is a bit of body-horror so don't watch it if you're squeamish. I can't believe I actually watched the whole thing through once, but I found one of the songs online and after that I listened to the whole soundtrack. It was amazing!


End file.
